Arnewood School writes to parents after former Tyrone Mark found guilty of professional misconduct

HUNDREDS of parents have been contacted by a Hampshire secondary school after a former member of staff was banned from teaching over his relationship with a teenage pupil.

As exclusively revealed by the Daily Echo yesterday, former teacher Tyrone Mark, 38, also wrote sexually explicit notes about students and kept school photographs at his home.

The pictures were collected by Mr Mark over a ten-year period when he worked at The Arnewood School in New Milton as a geography tutor.

Staff at Arnewood have now written to the parents of all 1,200 current pupils following a hearing at which Mr Mark was found guilty of professional misconduct.

The school says it is unable to alert ex-pupils because they do not have their current addresses and the images themselves are in the possession of the body that conducted the hearing, making it impossible to verify the content.

Arnewood is urging anyone with concerns to contact the head teacher, Chris Hummerstone.

Mr Mark was banned after the National College for Teaching and Leadership (NCTL) heard he gave the girl alcohol, condoms and the key to his house.

Arnewood’s letter to parents says: “Last week a former member of our teaching staff was the subject of a professional misconduct hearing and has been permanently prohibited from teaching.

“Mr Mark had his contract terminated by the school following allegations that he formed an inappropriate relationship with a student outside of school.

“Acting upon legal advice, this has been the first opportunity we have had to comment publicly on the matter.

“We were shocked and disgusted by Mr Mark’s actions, The very serious nature of the (NCTL) findings reflects this and we fully support the decision taken to prohibit him from teaching.

“There is no evidence that Mr Mark formed inappropriate relationships with any other students.”

A report published by the NCTL after the hearing said the teacher took the girl to Bath on two occasions without her parents’ knowledge or consent.

He also gave her driving lessons, even though she was legally too young to get behind the wheel and was thus uninsured.

The report added: “Mr Mark kept photographs in folders in at his home alongside Post It notes on which he made appalling comments of a graphically sexual nature in relation to pupils, many of whom were shown in the photographs.”

Arnewood and the NCTL are refusing to release any further information about the pictures, including the number seized.

But the Daily Echo understands they are harmless images of school events and were not taken by Mr Mark. The teacher was sacked from his job at Arnewood after his relationship with the girl, known only as “Pupil A”, came to light last year.

Arnewood says police launched an investigation but found no evidence of any criminal behaviour.

Last night a police spokesman said she was unable to contact the officer who carried out the inquiry and was thus unable to comment.

The NCTL said it had published a report of the misconduct hearing and would not be releasing any further information.